Apprentice
by supersquidgirl
Summary: Two girls appear at the Akatsuki base wanting to become apprentices. They are accepted, but for how long? They carry dangereous secrets with them and a terrible past.
1. Meeting

Two figures crouched in the shadows, staring at the clearing in front of them. Traps were scattered along the ground, along with a chakra-depleating field. Those two together created a lethal defense. One foot in there and you were dead.

"Can you negate the field?" whispered one, not taking her eyes off the clearing.

"Of course. Just a sec." Replied the other. She closed her eyes and performed a few hand seals. "Ryo me no jutsu!" When she opened her eyes again, they had changed from a deep blue to a striking violet. Focusing on the field she awakened something inside of her. Slowly the field receded.

"Great, c'mon" The two shadows jumped up, into the clearing.

Deidara hated guard duty. It was pointless. The liar was so well hidden, nobody ever found it. Even if someone did, it was so well protected; he wouldn't have to lift a finger.

He was killing time by sculpting an intricate model of his breakfast. He had just finished the waffles, when one of the wires attached to his hand twitched. It was the one for the chakra barrier. It went limp. He looked up, to find the barrier was disappearing. He frowned. Zetsu had created the barrier. It was invincible, he had tested it himself. Nothing could get through it. So what was making it disappear?

His question was answered as two figures jumped into the clearing. They walked forward. Deidara was amazed that they avoided all the traps, even the sub-terrainian ones. He frowned. Were they bait? A distraction? From the looks of them they were only in their teens. It wasn't possible for them to do all that without help.

Suddenly one of them looked up at him. Her piercing violet eyes seemed to bore right into him. He stepped back. Something wasn't right. Something inside him was pulling him to the edge, to keep on staring into her eyes. The deeper he looked, the more it pulled. A breeze touched his cheek. It had a sweet smokey smell. He grew drowsy. It was just a few seconds before he lost conciousness. He tried to tear his gaze from her. But her eyes were so fierce, it was impossible. He felt himself drift into sleep, like a feather floating to the ground. The last thing he remembered were her eyes shift from that intense violet to a deep, solomn blue.

"Let's hurry, before others come." The first one said. The other just nodded, tearing her eyes from the fallen man, then following her partner into the entrance of the lair.


	2. Apprentices

The two walked silently through the hallways, slowly approaching the main room. Neither of them talked, nor did they need to. They just walked, turning every so often. Finally they stopped in front of a large door. They stood there for a while, silently conversing, contemplating. The door, almost like it was tired of waiting, slowly slid open. Allowing the two to enter.

Inside everything was perfectly still. Most of the Akatsuki was seated on the numerous couches and chairs that littered the room. The two groups regarded each other with a sense of indecision. Suddenly someone launched a fireball jutsu at the two figures in the doorway. They jumped out of the way easily, landing a few steps away. The blue-eyed one grabbed onto a handle on her back, but the other stopped her.

"Now's not the time." She said firmly. Reluctantly the she lowered her hand.

"We mean no harm. We would just like to talk to your leader. Please take us to him." The first one said, showing her palms as a sign a peace. Zetsu and Itachi stood up. They escorted them to a door, no different from the others and knocked.

"What?" Came the call from the other side.

"We have guests. They would like to speak with you." Announced Zetsu.

" Grumble Well let them in." Zetsu opened the door and motioned for the girls to enter. They walked in and sat down. Zetsu walked up to the leader and whispered something in his ear.

"Oh, really? How interesting." He mumbled. "Ok, you can go." Zetsu and Itachi left the room and the leader turned to them. The one with blue eyes was, indeed, in her teens. She had medium blue-green hair, to match. She was wearing a torn v-neck t-shirt with a tubetop underneath and blue pants that flared out at the end. The other had long brown hair with red highlights, along with fiery red eyes. She was wearing a ripped double-layer tubetop with a ripped skirt that angled diagonally. She also had orangey-red cat ears and tail. What an odd pair.

"Would either of you like to tell me who you are and why you're here?" The pair glanced at each other.

"I'm Ryuko." Started the blue haired girl.

"And I'm Hitori." Continued the other.

"And we would like to become apprentices of the Akatsuki!" They both concluded.

The leader was taken aback by this last phrase. Nobody ever wanted to be an apprentice to an organization of criminals. He thought about it for a while. He need to make sure they were strong enough, and that they were serious. He came to a conclusion.

"We'll apprentice you if you can defeat one of our members."

"You will find that your guard has been knocked unconscious, by Ryuko's doing. When he wakes, he will tell you himself." This statement was like a blow to the Leader. It' took a lot to defeat Deidara. Just who were these girls?

"I will confirm that. If it is true you can settle down immediately." He stood up and walked out, the girls following his example. He called to Zetsu and talked to him. Zetsu nodded and disappeared. A few minutes later he returned. He whispered to the leader, who nodded.

"Ok, please notify the others." He said, then turning to the girls. "Let's get you a room."


	3. Talks and drawings

Ryuko was looking out the window of her room. The sky was clear and the clouds were drifting lazily on the wind. The trees swayed slightly as a breeze swept past. Her deep blue eyes seemed to be full of longing. Like they wanted to forget everything and drift up with the clouds. To be free. A knock at the door came and Hitori came in. Ryuko turned to face her.

"Well, we did it." She said smiling.

"Yeh, I guess we did." Replied Ryuko with a sad smile. She turned back to the window.

"Did you get your sensei yet?" asked Hitori.

"No. What about you?" said Ryuko not turning around.

"No. But we're supposed to meet them tomorrow." She grinned. "I've met some of them. They seem okay. I hope you get a good one."

"Yeh, you too." Ryuko got up. "I'm going to look around."

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Ryuko wandered the halls, occasionally opening a door. Once she bumped into Itachi. He looked down on her, glaring. She flinched, she had seen that gaze so many times, it was painful. So much hate. She shook her head. That was all forgotten now.

She continued on, not really paying attention, until she found her way back to her room. She sat down on the bed. She looked at the bag sitting beside her. Reaching in she pulled out a photograph. She gazed lovingly at the figures.

There, on the page, was her, Hitori, and Wynn grinning from the top of a tree. She smiled sadly. That was the last photo they had taken together. She placed it on the bedside table and continued to unpack. Several books, a set of clothes, a necklace and a small statuette of a dragon, soon lay nestled in various nooks and crannies around the room. She sighed and flopped back on the bed. She pulled out a notebook from her pocket. Its pages were worn and yellowed, but it had gotten her through many hard times. She flipped open to an empty page and pulled out a small pencil. The hours melted away as her emotions and feelings were transformed into pictures and colours.

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Hitori watched her friend leave before getting up herself. Ryuko had changed so much. She was too hard on herself. It wasn't her fault. Instead of returning to her room, Hitori went to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of milk and sat down at the table. Slowly sipping at her drink she soon became lost in thought. She didn't even notice when someone else entered the room. It wasn't until he sat down across from her did she look up. He was staring intently, analyzing her, while absently munching on a bowl of Rice Crispies. She stared back, her eyes hardening. He blinked, and then smiled.

"Hi, I'm Deidara. Nice to meet you, un."

"Hitori, likewise." Her eyes softened a bit and her muscles relaxed.

"So you're the new apprentices, huh? That's a pretty big accomplishment, un." Hitori gave a small shrug.

"I guess so."

"So where you from?"

"The village hidden in the legends, Kodengakure. "

"Never met anyone from there."

"We keep to ourselves. But that's all in the past. Now were here and we're not going back. Not like they'd want us anyways."

"Are you wanted for something?"

"No, just hated. Just hated" She looked away, eyes down cast.

"For what?"

"Something terrible."

Deciding to change subject instead of prying he asked. "Where's your friend, the one with the eyes?"

"Oh Ryuko? She's probably drawing somewhere." She frowned. " How do you now about her eyes? Oh, you must've been the guard." Deidara grinned.

"Yeh. That guy. It took me completely by surprise. I couldn't react in time, un."

"She tends to do that. But don't feel to bad. She even got the Iwakukage1 with it."

"Wow that powerful, un? You guys must be feared by the entire village, un?" At this comment, a pained look entered her eyes. Her fiery eyes seemed to dim, replaced with a deep unyielding sorrow.  
"More than you think. More than you think." She got up abruptly. "See you later." She mumbled.

Deidara watched her go. As soon as he was alone, the leader appeared beside him.

"So what do you think?"

Deidara shrugged. "She's deep. Both of them are. They've got something. Do you know what happened?"

"No, no one does. We'll just have to let them tell us when they want us to know."

"Must have been pretty serious, un."

"Must have. We just have to give it time. Will you do it?"

"Yes, I'll do it. But what about the other?"

"Kisame is deciding right now. I'll have an answer soon."

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Kisame sat on the branch of a tree outside of Ryuko's room, watching her. She had been drawing for a couple hours, but finally she placed the little notebook down and started to read. He squinted at the title. ' Dragon Heart ' He smiled. It was a beautiful book. He had it himself, hidden in a secret cupboard. Whenever he felt upset he would sneak away for a couple hours, lost in its pages. A girl with a dragon spirit trapped inside her, hated and loved for it at the same time.

He saw her smile. That smile was a smile of pure and simple joy. She placed a bookmark on the page and returned it to the shelf. She left the room with a dreamy look in her eyes and a smile on her face.

After he was sure she was gone he jumped through the window. He went to the shelf and slowly pulled out the book. He flipped to the marked page. It was his most loved passage.

She asked for an escape, to get away from her life, even for just a moment. The answer came slowly, as her shoulders shifted and started to grow. The nubs of bone stretched and new muscles formed. A pale iridescent skin formed in the empty spaces. They were wings.

She flexed the new muscles and flapped, causing a small whirlwind of leaves. She flapped again, getting more powerful with each stroke. She rose above the canopy, freed from the boundaries of earth; her life forgotten. Soaring amongst the clouds, she was truly free. Freer than a bird or a cloud or the wind. She was a dragon.

Kisame sighed. How he loved that passage. He replaced the book slowly, careful to put it in the exact same position. He turned towards the notebook. Flipping it open he could see she was talented. The first page held the tip of a mountain, looking out onto a lush valley. The second, a bird soaring between the clouds. A lily floating on a river. Rolling hills, the grass swaying in the breeze. Simplistic beauty. But as he turned the next page, a pair of blood red eyes glared out of the darkness. It was disturbing. He continued on, each beautifully horrifying. A child trapped underneath a snapped tree, lying there in a pool of light. A lonely cottage, it's door ajar, the window splattered with blood. A cherry blossom sitting in a hand dripping with blood. The last one, the most recent was a red rose petal, floating, ripples encircling it, and the reflection, black.

He quickly shut the notebook, replacing it hastily. This girl, what had happened to her, to make her change so drastically? To turn so dark? He jumped out the window onto the roof. Leader was waiting.

"So?"

" She's different. Something inside her is not normal. Something changed her."

"Yes, Deidara noticed that too. But we have no idea what."

"I'll do it."

"Just like that?"

"I feel like I can understand a bit of her. She's someone I'd like to get to know."

"Great. See you tomorrow."  
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This took so long to write. Please review!

1I know it doesn't exist. But it sounds cool. 


	4. Sensei's Or the worst chapter ever!

Man this took a while to write. I don't see why people call Kisame a Cannibal for eating fish. Do you know what sharks eat? Fish! Do you know what else they eat? Other sharks! So only if he eats another human can you call him a cannibal. Kapiche!? o

Ryuko sat on top of the roof, watching the dark sky fade into a smoky grey. It was so peaceful, so quiet; it was like nothing was wrong in the world. Lost in thought, she barely noticed when Hitori swung up beside her.

"Morning. Sleep well?" Ryuko blinked.

"Yes, and you?"

"Yes, first time in a while."

"Two years."

"Two years." She echoed. Hitori noticed that Ryuko was wearing arm-warmers that covered most of her arms.

"Is it that bad?" Ryuko winced. "Oh god."

_See? Even she's afraid of you. Everyone else was afraid. Now look where they are. __**No! It's not like that. **__ Don't deny it. You know it's true. Ever since that time…. __**Shut up! Stop playing with my mind!**__ Both you and I know why I can't do that._

Hitori forehead creased. This was bad. In front of her, Ryuko was clutching her head, screaming. She shook her friend.

"Don't listen to him! It's your body! You have control!"

"Do I really?" The response came as barely a whisper.

"Yes, you do!" _If you have so much control, then how did __it__ happen?_

"SHUT UP!" Ryuko jumped of the roof and ran into the forest.

"Ryuko!" Hitori resisted the urge to go after her. She could never catch up, and besides, she just needed some time alone. She can do it.

Hitori swung into her room, just as some one knocked. Leader walked in.

"Where's Ryuko?"

"She went out for a walk. She'll be back later."

"Oh, well I got your guy's senseis. Can you come and meet them at lunch?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Great. See you then." He left. _I hope she's okay by then._ Ryuko left to have breakfast.

* * *

Leader leaped onto a tree branch where Zetsu was waiting.

"Well?"

"Why did you let them in so easily?_i_"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"**Just answer."**

"I don't know. I just had a feeling."

"You let two un-identified shinobi into the Akatsuki, without any tests, cross references, or info, **based on a feeling?**"

"That's why I'm having you scout."

"But it might already be too late."

"Whatever. What did you find?"

"The blue girl looks as if she might have a psychotic breakdown. **She's hearing voices in her head. And her friend knows it.** She addresses it as if it was a real thing, it looks as if this has gone on for a long time."

"Do you think she's a Jinchuuriki?"

"…… I can't tell at the moment."

"Where is she now?"

"**She ran of screaming in that direction." **Pointing into the forest. Just as he said it Ryuko stepped out of the brush and calmly walked to the base. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying recently. But now they were clear and sure. **"Speak of the devil."**

"Good job. Continue surveillance."

* * *

Hitori gave a sigh of relief when she saw her friend enter the building. She ran over and hugged Ryuko, like she had come back dead. Finally she drew away, holding her at arms length.

"Are you back?"

Ryuko smiled, "As back as I'll every be!" She laughed. _It's good to see her laugh again.__ii__ She's finally getting back to normal_. Hitori looked down at her watch.

"Shoot! We have to go!" Ryuko gave her a questioning look. "Leader-sama wants us to meet our sensei's at lunch."

They walked down the hall together, talking like Hitori wanted to talk for two years.

Sigh. Deidara could see why Sasori hated to wait. But I guess that's what you get for being early. Kisame walked in and plunked himself on a chair.

"Do you know what we're having for lunch?"

"I dunno. Leader-sama in preparing it, un."

They waited a few more minutes, before Pein (Hee Hee.) walked in with a bowl of tortilla chips. He placed it on the table.

"The food's not done yet." He walked out. Kisame grabbed a chip and crunched it in his hand then ate the crumbs.

"Why'd you do that, un?"

"I don't like chewing. " Dedara was about to say something mean when the girls came in, chatting like gossiping teens._ Is this really the girl I saw before?_ Kisame and Deidara continued to stare as they sat.

"Good afternoon Deidara-sensei and….?" Hitori started.

"Kisame." He finished automaticly.

"Kisame-sensei! You are our sensei's right?"

"Correct." Said Pein pushing the door open. He was carrying a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches and milk. "Food's done!"

* * *

_i_White side/**Black side**

_ii_ Thought.

I'm sorry I didn't make this longer but It was a hard chapter and I needed to finish. I'll make the next one better. I don't know if I'll call Pein 'Leader' or 'Pein


	5. The battle

Ryuko landed in a tree and sat on a branch. Hitori landed just above her and leaned against the trunk. Hitori looked up through the branches. She could just barely see the speck of Deidara's bird in the sky, watching them. This was their chance. They had their mission, now all they had to do was prove it. 

Hitori grinned. She had not been on an assassination in so long; she could feel the adrenalin pumping through her veins. She looked down at Ryuko, staring out into space. She hoped she was ready for this, after what she had just overcome. She jumped down.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Ryuko looked up at her.

"Do we really have a choice?" Hitori sighed. She was right.

"C'mon. We better get going." With that they jumped into the forest.

* * *

He ran quickly through the trees, anxious to reach his destination. He had left his team at the last village, for this was something he needed to do alone. This was something that he had dedicated his life to. 

He stopped in a clearing, panting. It was a long way, and he needed to be at full power when he got there. He sat down under a tree and pulled out a water bottle. Suddenly a figure jumped out of a tree and landed in front of him. He looked up lazily, and saw a girl, a little younger than him, standing there. He raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah. Are you Uchiha Sauske?" He stiffened. She smirked.

"Good. We're here to kill you." He looked at her skeptically. She was thin, 13 or 14 years old, a girl, and looked as if she could hardly kill a rabbit. He rolled his eyes.

"I have better things to do." And jumped up. But he only flew a couple hundred meters before he crashed into something. He bounced back and slid, while trying to find what he hit. He saw a series of ripples in the air, coming from the place he hit. He jumped to the top of the tree, watching the ripples as they grew. They stretched across the clearing, then receded into the ground.

'Damn. A force field.' He gritted his teeth. He didn't have time for this. A face popped in front of his. He jumped, how did he not sense her?

"You're not getting out that easily!" She chimed in a singsong voice. "Leader-sama said you need to die."

Sasuke cracked. He can't stop now, not when he was so close.

"I have been cursed so long by the shadow of my brother, I will not be stopped by a brat like you."He growled, jumping into the clearing. The girl followed suit, landing a few meters away. She smiled, but not a happy smile.

"You think you're cursed?" And she burst into flame.

* * *

Deidara blinked. He looked at the screen. It had just looked like they were going to fight, when his student spontaneously combusted. Was this a trick? No, no one knew about the camera on the bird, or even the bird for that matter. New Jutsu? Self-Destruction? No, it didn't make any sense. He turned back to the screen. The ball of flames was charging at Sauske. This was more interesting than he expected.

* * *

Sasuke jumped out of the way of the fire. Narrowly dodging a barrage of punches and kicks, not to mention the blazing inferno. He slid backwards a few meters, Sharingan blazing. 

She rushed at him again. Instinctively, he jumped back. But he knew something was wrong the moment she smiled. He felt a surge of heat on his back and turning around, he saw a wall of fire rise up from the earth to meet him. Thinking quickly, he drew his sword and lengthened it with his chakra. It stabbed into the ground, jarring him as he stopped. He swung up on it's handle.

No hand signs, no call, just a tiny flicker of the eyes that could mean anything. How was she doing all this?

He scanned the terrain, looking for someway out. As he studied the forest, a flicker of movement caught his eyes. An accomplice? He pulled out a kunai and attached an explosive tag. It hit dead-on, and just a millisecond before it detonated, something jumped into the clearing.

Sasuke groaned; another girl? Hitori, who had not been sitting idol, creating several birds out of fire, smirked.

"I was wondering when he would notice you, Ryuko. He's pretty dense." She called over her shoulder. Ryuko walked to her side, her eyes blazing violet.

"He still hasn't noticed his chakra. Has he, Hitori"

'What?' His forehead creased. He looked down at his sword, which was still perched upon. He seemed closer to the ground than before, but that was impossible. He did an internal check and his eyes widened in shock. His chakra was more than half gone. Ryuko saw this and grinned.

"He's finally getting the picture."

* * *

Team 7 and 8 rushed through the forest, hot on Sasukes trail. Kiba sniffed the air. 

"We're really close." Naruto clenched his teeth. Kakashi turned to Hinata.

"Can you scout ahead with your Byakugan?" Hinata nodded and activated it, scanning the terrain. After a minute of searching, her eyebrows creased and she shut off her bloodline trait.

"What is it, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, coming up beside her. She blushed a bit.

"A-ano, there was a g-giant wall of ch-chakra, b-but I c-couldn't see through, j-just a c-couple of m-minutes south from h-here." With that, the teams altered their course, heading towards said chakra, wondering what it could mean.

* * *

Back in the clearing, Sasuke's luck was steadily declining. The chakra on his blade was almost all gone, and his reserves were getting lower by the minute. He was uncomfortably open on his perch, but it was safer and no fire was going to rise up suddenly. 

He formed a hand sign, and blew a giant fireball at them.

"Fire style: Grand fireball technique!" It rushed at them, gaining speed with every meter. They didn't even flinch. Then, right before his eyes, it started shrinking until it totally disappeared, inches from their feet. But the kunai inside it didn't. He had them. Ryuko looked bored. In a blur of motion she grabbed the kunais out of the air, except one which she let whiz past her neck and into the tree behind her. Hitori didn't even move. The kunai plunged into the fire, but slowed to a stop as if it had fallen into oil. Ryuko inspected the kunais in her hand.

"That the best you got?" She smiled. Hitori smirked.

"Our turn." They both started to rapidly form hand signs, too fast for even his Sharingan to see. But, those that he did catch were completely foreign to him. A split second later they slammed their hands on the ground.

"Myth Style: Field of Burning Memories!"

"Myth Style: Flying Earth Dragon!"

Flames burst from the ground, consuming the entire clearing. Flames licked him from all directions. He could feel his skin burn.

With nowhere to run, he jumped as high as possible, the hazy air a refuge from the hell below. In the air, he saw a giant thing rise up from the earth. It was huge. He could see the girl, Ryuko, standing on it's back, as it unfurled it's great wings. It shot up into the sky with great speed despite it's size. Instantly, it was above him, and with a flick of it's tail, he was sent falling back to the earth.

Landing in a crouch position, he winced as hands met the fiery ground. Again and again, he jumped; again and again he was shot down. Tired, and with only a portion of his chakra left, he gave up. He stood up, and with him, the flames grew with him, now towering over his head. The heat was searing.

Then, he caught a flicker in the fire. Then, An image appeared inside the fire. His memories of the massacre of his family played before his eyes, almost as if it was a flickery TV screen. It changed, to the when he and Naruto fought on the roof. Then To their fight in front of the waterfall. These painful memories consumed him, the pain from the inferno forgotten. One after another, it played his worst memories, his nightmares, He couldn't take it.

Then, an image appeared, that wasn't his. A girl, not much older than eleven, lay in the middle of a battlefield, her green hair splatter with blood, and her eyes, glazed and staring. The spell on him was broken. A fast as possible he formed his hand signs and slammed his hand on the ground.

"Summoning technique!" A burst of smoke enveloped the bubble. When it cleared, Sasuke stood upon the head of the giant snake, Manda. His figure was burned and raw, and blood was oozing from the wounds. He was also mentally exhausted. But he could still fight. Ryuko jumped onto the head of the snake, her dragon crumbled as soon as she left it.

"What have you gotten into, Sasuke?" he murmured.

Hitori, was still on the ground, but was not paying any attention to the him or the snake. She was drawing all the fire towards her, and it melted into the flames growing around her. Wings sprouted from the back and the fire was starting to mold it's shape.

But Sasuke had bigger problems. Ryuko drew a giant sword from behind her back. He was confused as to why he didn't see it before. It looked like a giant machete. He drew his own sword, comparing in size, it looked like a tooth pick. But it was all he had. She ran at him, and slashed at his head. He ducked, but his burns slowed him and it only missed by an inch. She was fast, but she wouldn't be able to hit him as long as he had him Sharingan. It was an almost one-sided fight, for all he could manage was some quick dodges and a couple of shaky stabs. Then as she made a slash downward, he saw his chance. He stabbed at he arm, missing most of it, but he managed to cut through the skin. Ryuko immediately clamped on the wound and struck him with the dull side of her blade. He flew across Manda's head and landed a good five meters away.

Meanwhile, Hitori's fire was beginning to take form. You could see the basic shape of a phoenix growing. It was already of comparable size to the snake, and it's size continued to increase. Plumes sprouted from it's head and a beak grew and sharpened. Talons formed, and it's eyes opened. Inside, Hitori's eyes closed, and when she opened them again her pupils were gone, the whites of her eyes were crimson and the irises were orange. Manda chuckled solemnly and opened it's mouth.

"God Sasuke, what have you gotten me into?" The bird let out a blood-curling screech and flew at them.

* * *

Team 7 and 8 doubled their speed at the sight of Manda above the trees. But as the Phoenix rose up, did they realize the urgency of the situation. Naruto was at the head of the group jumping farther than anyone else and going to far ahead. When they were just a few seconds away, Naruto slammed into something. He rebounded so far that the other had to catch him as he flew past them. 

"What was that, dattebayo?" Kakashi walked forward cautiously with his hand out. It pressed against something solid.

"It's a force-field." He said over his shoulder. Hinata's eyes widened.

"Th-this must b-be the w-wall of ch-chakra that I s-saw." Kakashi nodded grimly. But Naruto wasn't listening. He had shot up into the trees and was climbing to the top. Sighing, the other followed. From the top, they could see the grim spectacle before them.

Manda and the Phoenix were locked in battle, exchanging blows with lightning speed. But even though Manda was bigger and stronger, the firebird was winning.

They all feared for their friend's life, unable to help, and wondered who was his, and their, enemy.

* * *

Deidara sat in front of the screen watching the grim spectical before him. He would have to watch this again, just to make sure he wasn't imagining things. His student was in middle of a giant phoenix and taking on the worlds most feared snake; and the other was killing the guy that killed Orochimaru. But it escaped him why Ryuko needed to cover such a small cut. He must ask tham when they get back.

* * *

Sasuke knew that it was almost done. He was exhausted, his chakra was almost gone and his enemy was still at full power. He had one more chance, one last trick. Ryuko walked towards him, knowing that he was at the end of his rope. He shut off his Sharingan, needing every drop of chakra he could get. He forced the last sliver of chakra into his hand, the familiar crackle of electricity reached his ears. 

Not wasting anytime enjoying the look of surprise on her face, he rushed at her. Ryuko's reaction was fast, but not fast enough. His hand plunged into her shoulder, but it stopped at the bone. Blood splattered out as he withdrew his fist. His limbs were limp, and he breathed in short gasps.

He stepped back and looked at her. Her arm fell from where it was covering the cut. It wasn't bleeding, it didn't have a scab, but the cut was definitely there. Protruding from the cut was a line of iridescent teal scales.

He looked back at the shoulder wound. Scales were shooting out from the flesh and the bone was being covered by black muscle that molded with her own.

"You think you're cursed?"

He didn't even try to block her blows. He had nothing left inside of him; the fight was over. A dull numbness flowed through his body as her fists hammered down on him. She wasn't even using her sword.

He thought about his life, and he realized, that his deepest regret was not that he didn't kill his brother, but that he left his friends. Suddenly he had a need to live. He wanted to, no, he needed to see them, to say that he was sorry. But he was beyond doing anything. His life was going to end.

Then he saw them. Standing on the treetops, watching him die. He saw the look of worry on their faces. The sadness. The love.

He felt one last blow to his stomach, knocking him to the ground. Ryuko stood above him, the bloodlust gone.

He looked at her and muttered his last words.

"Tell them I'm sorry."

His eyes slid closed and he drew one last breath, and was still. A solemn sadness filled her eyes. She picked up his body and jumped of Manda's head, letting Hitori finish him off. As soon as his head hit the ground, the fire dissipated. Her eyes returned to their normal soft brown. She looked at Ryuko who was walking towards the trees where his teammates watched.

"What are you doing?"

"Carrying out a final request."

She jumped into the trees, and climbed up until she was face to face with them. She laid down the body and looked at them. Their faces were filled with sadness and hate. She put her hand up to the field and touched it softly. Naruto punched it.

"You bastard!" She looked at him in the eyes, and watched tears leak out.

"He says he's sorry." And with that she left rejoining her partner. Then walked towards the bird that was waiting to take them back to the base. They stopped just before the barrier. Ryuko released the barrier. Hitori grinned.

"That guy deserved to die." Ryuko looked at her

"But they don't deserve to bury him." They both fell silent, and remained that way as they flew between the clouds.

* * *

Wow, I'm sorry I took so long to update. With school and all my other stuff I just didn't have time. But now I have and please review. And now that I have updated, Splitz-Girl it's your turn! Thanks for reading!  



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